Health Care Issues among Asian Americans

Abstract

Asian Americans (including Pacific Islander Americans) represent a significant part of the population. They are, in terms of percentage increase, the fastest growing ethnic group in the United States. In 1980, the population of Asian Americans exceeded 3.7 million, easily doubling the 1.5 million figure in 1970 (U. S. Bureau of the Census, 1988). The 1990 population of Asian Americans is about 7.3 million, nearly double that of 1980. Projections are that by the year 2020, the population will be 20 million (Ong & Hee, 1993). The Asian-American population is not only the fastest growing but also the most diverse ethnic group in terms of cultural backgrounds, countries of origin, and circumstances for coming to the United States. For example, the broad Asian-American category includes more than 50 different subgroups, which may primarily speak one of more than 30 different languages. The three largest subgroups in the Asian-American category are Chinese, Japanese, and Filipinos; significant numbers of Asian Indians, Koreans, Southeast Asians (e.g., Vietnamese, Cambodians, Laotians, and Hmong), and Pacific Islanders are also included in the Asian-American category.

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